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Monday 6 November 2017

COP23: Morocco Hands over Presidency of UN Climate Conference to Fiji

Vocal synthesis
COP23: Morocco Hands over Presidency of UN Climate Conference to Fiji

Morocco handed over Monday the presidency of the UN climate Conference to Fiji during the opening ceremony of the 23rd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP23),which is taking place in Bonn, Germany.

Salaheddine Mezouar, who has been in charge of the UN Conference since COP22 in Marrakech (November 7-18, 2016), passed the torch to his Fijian successor, Frank Bainimarama.

After a dynamic Moroccan presidency, resolutely committed to African countries and States exposed to global warming, it is the turn of Fiji Islands, a Pacific country to make the voice of the climate cause heard and draw attention to the threats facing humanity today because of the effects of climate change.

The opening ceremony of COP23 was notably attended by executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Patricia Espinosa, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Petteri Taalas, and German Environment minister, Barbara Hendricks.

At the Bonn Conference, countries will seek to advance in the development of the Paris Agreement's operationalization regulations, according to the UN.

The Paris Agreement, which was adopted by the 196 parties to the UNFCCC in December 2015 in Paris, calls on countries to combat climate change by limiting the rise of global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius and strive not to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius.

In November 2016, the Marrakech Climate Conference ended with the "Marrakech Proclamation for climate action and sustainable development", in which UNFCCC States parties affirmed their "commitment" to "the full implementation "of the Paris Agreement.

Today 169 parties have ratified this agreement.

Between 25,000 and 35,000 participants, including representatives of more than 500 NGOs and more than 1,000 journalists, are expected at the Bonn COP23.

 

With the "one conference – two zones" concept, COP 23 will highlight the importance of climate activities undertaken by various non-government players and supplement the negotiations and concrete action.

MAP: 06/11/2017